Sonic the Hedgehog: The Legend of Mobius
by harmonicsonic
Summary: A revisualization of the original "Sonic the Hedgehog" television show, using characters from later Sonic installments.   Rated K-plus  for violence.  Rating subject to change.
1. Heads or Tails

**Author's Note:**

This story is a revisualization of the original _Sonic the Hedgehog_ television series (affectionately known as _SatAM_ by fans). While most of the characters from the original show appear in this story, it also introduces a few characters from subsequent Sonic series. All characters have appeared in the original show or later series. Out of respect for the wishes of the Archie Comics group in regards to copyrights, I have made the best possible effort to avoid or remove references to the comic books. Be advised that some of the references to the original television show are occasionally overt. I do not own the copyrights to any such dialogue in the story, nor is it my intent to take credit for such references.

Jack Reynolds – 9/2/10

_Original "Sonic the Hedgehog" television series ©1993, 1994 DIC Entertainment, L.P. and Sega of America, Inc. Sega, Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters and indicia are trademarks of SEGA. All rights reserved._

**Sonic the Hedgehog: The Legend of Mobius**

**Chapter 1 ****–**** Heads or Tails**

**I**

Smoke rose from the dingy city below in acrid, brown clouds. If the sun over Planet Mobius was to stop shining, the denizens of Robotropolis wouldn't have known it for all the smog. Not that they would have cared – only organic life forms needed sunlight. A mordant atmosphere and a sky dark as night from pollution made no difference to the mechanized masses. The skiff that dropped through the smog was completely open, even though it carried one of the few organic life forms remaining in the city.

_Ahh… Home sweet home… I do so miss the beauty of this place when I'm away. And my, what lovely weather we're having today._ The man in the skiff thought to himself, looking around calmly as the skiff neared its destination – a large, egg-shaped structure in the center of the city. The metallic voice of the skiff pilot interrupted the man's thoughts. "Now approaching headquarters, sir."

"Very well," the man lazily replied, "commence landing procedure."

As the skiff approached headquarters, a little man came out onto the landing pad. He quickly ran his hand over his head, but that did little to fix the thin wisps of hair that extended in all directions. The skiff landed, and the tiny man stood at a rigid attention. "Good morning, Sire," he said nervously, "Exciting trip?"

"Shut up, Snively," the man in the skiff said nonchalantly as he walked down onto the landing pad.

Snively made a quick bow and fell in behind the man. He knew better than to pursue the matter any further with his boss. Dr. Julian Ivo Robotnik was a tyrant, and unfortunately, being Robotnik's second-in-command did not make life any better for Snively. As they approached the building's entrance, the doors opened automatically for Dr. Robotnik, and the sentry bots on duty saluted smartly. Robotnik waved carelessly in reply and continued his way into headquarters. Snively followed, until the door shut in his face and the sentries tried to suppress their metallic chortling.

Robotnik's war room was different from the squalid city outside, but no less sinister. The walls came to life with blinking lights, message indicators, and video images as the doctor entered. "Any sign of the hedgehog?" Robotnik asked Snively as his frustrated subordinate entered, still rubbing his large nose from where the door hit it.

"Negative, Sir. He hasn't been seen since you left three days ago," Snively replied. Robotnik growled crossly at this news.

"Those Freedom Fighters have become a nuisance, Snively," the Doctor mused, "they can't be allowed to continue sabotaging our operations. We must put a stop to it."

"Yes, Dr. Robotnik," Snively quickly agreed.

"But how…" Robotnik said, half to himself, "Every time they strike, those fetid freedom fighters always get away. It's like they just disappear."

"If we could find where they hide, Sir…" Snively offered.

"Oh yes, Snively," Robotnik replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "your logic is totally stunning." Snively smiled proudly. His smile quickly faded when Robotnik's sarcasm turned to rage. "_Of course_ we have to find where they hide, you fool!" he bellowed, "I _know_ where they're hiding! Knothole village!"

"Well, then we can send our troops to Knothole and—"

"Snively," Robotnik sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Don't give me another reason to turn you into a paperweight. I don't know where Knothole is. What do you think I've been _looking_ for during the last ten years?" Snively did not reply. He was used to this sort of talk from Robotnik. Suddenly, he remembered some good news that might abate his boss's anger.

"I do have something that may help, Sire. While you were away, we found this where the king's quarters used to be." He pulled from his pocket a small handheld computer and handed it to Robotnik.

"Interesting…" Robotnik said as he examined the device in his hands, "Oh that's very good. I may not have to kill you after all, Snively! What does it do?"

"It appears to be a portable device linked to the Knothole information system designed by the king's men several years ago. Unfortunately it is protected by a password, and we have been unable to solve it."

"Snively, I am having a wonderful day today. Don't ruin it for me," Robotnik said, his mood darkening again. Snively nervously nodded. Such was the life of a minion.

**II**

The Great Forest of Mobius provided a pleasant contrast from the dank city of Robotropolis. Birds chirped and sang happily, and the sun shone brightly. A brook rippled and ran across the landscape. By this brook sat a curious walrus, wearing a yellow baseball cap and preparing to eat his lunch.

"You ready, Rotor?" A voice interrupted the birds and the walrus's lunch.

"Hit it, man," the walrus, Rotor, replied. A blue streak passed in front of him, and the music began. Sonic the Hedgehog had been working on the song for weeks, and Rotor would be the first to hear it. His guitar shattered the peace and quiet of the forest around them. Rotor tapped his foot in time with the rhythm as Sonic rocked.

When the song came to an end, Sonic turned to his friend and asked, "Well, Rote? Whaddya think?"

"Well…" Rotor answered pensively, "I love it, Sonic… but…"

"But what?" Sonic quickly asked, now on the defensive.

"Sally won't like it," Rotor explained, understanding Sonic's real purpose behind the performance, "It's too hard-rock. You know she doesn't go in for that sort of thing. If you want to impress Sally, you should tone it down a bit."

"C'mon, Rotor," Sonic retorted, disappointed by Rotor's review, "Tone it down? I can't tone it down. Soft is for quilts, not music. It's gotta move."

"Now…" Rotor continued, ignoring Sonic's heated reply, "if you were to write her a nice ballad or something…"

"No way, man," Sonic replied agitatedly, "Cut it out or I'm gonna hurl."

"Sure, Sonic. Sure." Rotor chuckled as he finished the last of his lunch. "Well," he said, "we ought to get back to Knothole now." Sonic nodded and began humming a tune to himself as the two Freedom Fighters made their way back to their home.

**III**

"Very good, Bunny. Now, just a little bit higher." Antoine D'Colette was in his usual form today, standing on the sidelines issuing orders to the other Freedom Fighters.

"Whai, Aintwawn, I do declare…" Bunny responded cynically, "I just don't know what I'd do without your help."

"Oh, no no, 'tis nothing" Antoine replied, completely oblivious to the annoyance he was causing her.

Bunny Rabbot just sighed and continued working, using her powerful, robotic muscles to lift the weight. When Robotnik took over Mobius, his first order of business was to replace all organic life with machines. Using a device called the Roboticizer, he succeeded in changing almost all of the planet's citizens into robots. Robotnik knew the fear his machine instilled in the people of Mobius – and continued to use roboticision not only to create more workers, but to intimidate the remaining free life forms. Bunny was unique. She was lucky enough to escape complete roboticision, but not before losing her left arm and both her legs to the dreaded machine. Now she used her cybernetic assets to the Freedom Fighters' advantage.

When Bunny had finished her task, she walked over to one of the other Freedom Fighters, a young red squirrel who was looking at a broken catapult.

"What's wrong, Sally girl?" Bunny asked the girl, who was apparently deep in thought.

Sally grunted in reply, then answered, "I wish I knew, Bunny. The throwing arm keeps breaking and I can't figure out why."

It wasn't just the ardent determination in her eyes or the authoritative voice that set her apart from the other Freedom Fighters. At eighteen years of age, Princess Sally Alicia Acorn already possessed a commanding presence that made her a natural leader. After bringing the Freedom Fighters safely through countless struggles against Robotnik and his mechanical horde, the deposed king's only daughter had earned the respect of everyone in Knothole. Her I.Q. of 167 also gave the Freedom Fighters an advantage. Above all, however, Princess Sally was kind-hearted, courageous, and just.

"Wish I could help, hun. 'Fraid I dunno nuthin' 'bout mechanical stuff, though," Bunny shrugged regretfully.

Sally smiled and replied, "Thanks anyway, Bunny. Rotor usually works with me on these things. He and Sonic are who-knows-where right now." Then, as if on cue…

"_Cannonball!_" Two figures landed in the large pile of hay a few yards away from the catapults, where the secret tunnel into Knothole emerged.

"I do believe that's them now," Bunny said, nodding in the direction of the haystack.

"I thought I detected a foul odor," Antoine added disdainfully as he joined the two girls. As he spoke, Sonic and Rotor came to them.

"What's the matter, Ant?" Sonic asked teasingly, "Didn't get your beauty rest last night? Come to think of it, you do look a little green." Then Sonic paused and added, "Actually, I think you look good in green."

At this, Antoine grunted and sulked away. Sonic continued to stand there smiling, until Sally glared at him. "Sonic, you were _supposed_ to be helping me today," the princess said to him sternly, "Where have you and Rotor been all this time?"

Sonic and Rotor stuttered and stammered, trying to find an excuse that might placate the princess. Finally, she held up her hand and shouted, "Enough! Forget it! Just come over here. We have a problem." Sally led them to the broken catapult she had been examining.

"Since we've redesigned them for another thousand pounds' capacity," she explained (mostly to Rotor – Sonic didn't have much of a mind for engineering), "the throwing arms keep breaking. It's like they're not able to handle the extra weight. What do you think, Rotor?"

Rotor went very close to the catapult and began studying it. A few minutes later, he called Sally over to him. "Look – there's your problem," he showed her, pointing to a place on the catapult, "The cotter pin keeps breaking. That's why the throwing arm isn't cutting it."

"Well, what can we do about it?" Sonic asked.

"You got me there, Sonic," Rotor replied, "but I'll think of something."

"I have an idea," Sally offered, "We've been using wooden cotter pins. Do we have any metal ones? They'd do the job without breaking, I think."

"Perhaps…" Rotor answered skeptically, "but we don't have any metal cotter pins. We'd have to go into the city to find some."

"Hey, I can handle that. Just leave it to the Hedgehog," Sonic responded. Sally looked at him doubtfully.

"The city's really too dangerous for anyone to go alone. Even you, Sonic."

"Nah, I'll be fine. Trust me, Sal," Sonic said confidently.

"Well, okay…" Sally consented, "But you'd better take along a power-ring, just in case you end up needing it."

"Sure thing, Sal," Sonic agreed.

**IV**

Robotropolis's junkyard was even more foul than the rest of the city, but Sonic decided to look there because it was where he would most likely find the cotter pins Sally was looking for. Besides, this part of the city was usually free of the "SWAT" bots that patrolled the rest of Robotropolis. Sonic darted and dashed among the piles of scrap metal, looking through all the odds and ends that were needed to finish Sally's catapults. Each time he found a cotter pin, he put it in the backpack he wore. He endeavored to be quick about it; Robotropolis was dangerous at the best of times, but it was worse after nightfall. If a "carby" (as the robots called organic life forms) was unlucky enough to be in the city after nightfall, he or she would be very vulnerable. Even the best organic life forms could not see in the dark nearly as well as a robot could.

As Sonic looked up, he noticed that the brown haze of the city was changing into a strange reddish-purple color. The sun was setting. Fortunately, he had found all the cotter pins he needed. As Sonic prepared to leave, he heard a noise not far in front of him. He climbed to the top of the junk pile to see what was going on.

Not far off, Sonic could see two SWAT-bots walking toward the city. The two bots were carrying a young fox. "Hey, come on, you guys! Let me go! I haven't done anything wrong!" The child's pleas were ignored.

"By decree number 616-H of Mobius, by order of Dr. Robotnik, all organic life forms are prohibited. Any being found in non-compliance with this order is to be taken for immediate roboticision," one of the SWAT-bots said unemotionally. Suddenly, they found themselves face-to-face with Sonic.

"Hey, metal-heads!" the Hedgehog taunted, "Bet you can't catch me!" After speaking, Sonic sped off in the opposite direction.

"Command override," the bots reported mechanically, dropping the young fox to chase after Sonic. "Top priority target sighted. Commencing pursuit of Hedgehog." The SWAT-bots followed Sonic until they came to a wall. Sonic quickly came to a halt, but the bots weren't able to stop as fast. They careened into the wall, shattering into dozens of pieces as they hit it at high speed.

"Those bots just never learn," Sonic sighed casually as he returned to where he had first seen them. Sonic scratched his head. The little fox had disappeared. Sonic looked around. Just then, some junk fell, making a metallic clatter as it trickled down one of the piles.

"It's okay, kid," Sonic said in the direction of the pile, "They're gone. You can come out now." The young fox came out from behind the junk pile, trembling. As the fox came closer, Sonic noticed that he had two tails. "Are you all right? You're not hurt?" Sonic asked him, but the poor thing was too afraid to speak. "What's wrong?" Sonic prompted when the fox made no response, "Bot got your tongue? I don't bite." The fox averted his eyes, still trembling. Sonic put his hand on the fox's shoulder. The frightened creature jumped and took a step back. "Hey," Sonic reassured him, holding out his hand for the fox to see it, "It's okay. You can trust me. I'm one of the good guys."

The fox looked around, as if looking for an escape, then he finally exhaled and said, "Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks for taking care of those guys."

"My pleasure," Sonic replied, smiling. "By the way," he added, still holding out his hand, "My name's Sonic." His jumpy new acquaintance still just eyed his hand suspiciously. "So," Sonic tried again, "You got a name, Kiddo?"

"Miles," the fox finally said, shaking Sonic's hand, "My name is Miles Prower."

"Right," Sonic said in response to the fox's peculiar name. "Tell you what – how 'bout I just call you Tails?"

Sonic's new companion nodded slowly, then asked him, "Why were those robots after me?"

"Well, that's why the city's so dangerous, Big Guy," Sonic explained, "That creep, Robotnik, wants everything roboticized."

"What's roboticize?" Tails asked nervously.

"Roboticize means you end up like them," Sonic answered grimly, pointing at the new piles of junk that used to be the SWAT-bots who chased him. Tails gasped and looked at Sonic anxiously. Sonic continued, "Robotnik does that to anybody he can get his slimy hands on."

"I don't want to be roboticized. What can I do?" Tails pleaded.

"Why don't you come with me, Tails," Sonic answered encouragingly, "I'm part of a group of Freedom Fighters trying to give Robot-no-goodnik what's coming to him. Maybe you can help us. But even if not, it sure beats fending for yourself here, doesn't it?" Tails nodded again in response, then Sonic said, "Come on, then. Night's falling and we don't want to be out here much longer. You know, you're small enough – jump in my backpack, and we'll get out of here."

Tails climbed up into Sonic's backpack. He was able to sit comfortably and look over Sonic's shoulder. "Now hang tight, Tails. We're bailin' from this joint," Sonic said as he and his new friend headed to Knothole.


	2. Technical Difficulties

**Chapter 2 ****–**** Technical Difficulties**

**I**

The Village of Knothole was very quiet today. The only sound to be heard was the singing of the birds in the giant trees above. All seemed to be very peaceful in the village, but it was not to continue this way.

"LOOK OUT!" The cry, followed by a loud crash, destroyed the quiet in the village. The startled residents of Knothole came out of their houses to find Sally, Rotor, Bunny, Tails, and Sonic all on the ground around a heap of scraps that was supposed to be a catapult. Most of them had been knocked down, but a few of them managed to stand.

"Well, Mr. Fix-it," Sonic said cynically to Rotor, "What's wrong with it now? Because I don't think that's how a catapult normally works."

"It's not Rotor's fault, Sonic," Tails gave his opinion.

"Why is that, Tails?" Sally asked.

"Because," Tails answered, "The cotter pin wasn't the problem this time. Look - it's still in one piece on the catapult." Since Sonic found the fox kit in Robotropolis and brought him back to Knothole Village, Tails was proving to be a valuable asset to the Freedom Fighters with his mechanical knowledge - knowledge far beyond the level of any normal ten-year-old.

"Well," Sonic said, getting to his feet, "I'm off to Robo-town. Let me know how it turns out."

Sonic was about to leave when Princess Sally stopped him. "Wait! Why are you going to the city, Sonic?"

"'Cause it's Monday, Sal," Sonic reminded the princess, "I always scout at this time. That's how we know what's goin' on."

"Okay, Sonic," Sally replied softly, "Just be careful."

"Hey, has the Hedgehog ever let you down before?" Sonic said before speeding off.

**II**

The back alleys of Robotropolis were dark, wet, and very filthy, but they were an excellent way of looking around the city unseen. Sonic used them to make his way toward the center of the city. The activities of the robots were important, but not as important as those of their leader.

Sonic had reached Robotnik's headquarters, but instead of relaxing, he became even more alert. He had reached his destination, but inside headquarters he would have many more enemies, and not nearly as many places in which to take cover. Sonic had been inside Robotnik's headquarters many times - indeed, most of the Freedom Fighters' knowledge of Robotnik's plans came from Sonic's reconnaissance - but he never relaxed his stance. Sonic would make it through this conflict as an organic life form, or not at all.

The door was locked, of course. It was always locked. As impatient as Sonic was, he knew he'd have to wait. Robotnik may have been evil and tyrannical, but he was no fool. Too many Freedom Fighters had made the mistake of underestimating Dr. Robotnik. Most of them were now part of his mechanized slave labor. A few of them were sent to work in the mines, where they usually died quickly. The rest weren't as lucky. _Yes..._ Sonic thought to himself, _I'll definitely wait._

Sure enough, his patience paid off. A squad of SWAT-bots came to the door. The squad leader pushed a few buttons on a nearby keypad, and the door opened. Unseen, Sonic quickly and stealthily followed the bots inside before the door closed. As soon as he was inside, Sonic immediately dashed to the side of the hallway. Then, as quietly as possible, he climbed into a vent on the wall, replacing the cover once he was inside. Sonic knew the building's ventilation system better than he knew the hallways. Just as the back alleys of Robotropolis were a way for him to scout the city unseen, Robotnik's ventilation system allowed Sonic to move about freely through headquarters.

A few minutes later, Sonic had reached his destination - the duct leading to the war room. He sat down in the duct, making sure to be far enough away from the vent to where he couldn't be seen. Once he had settled into his position, he watched and listened to what was going on in the war room.

Robotnik was berating Snively, as usual. "You imbecile!" he said, "You've had this machine for a week now and still can't even open it?"

"Well I... You see I..." Snively stammered, until Robotnik squashed the unfortunate lackey's head with his fist.

"Shut up, Snively, and give me that computer!" Robotnik roared, snatching the small device from Snively's hand.

"Password required for recognition," the computer said. Sonic was surprised - the computer sounded very much like Princess Sally. He hadn't expected that. Robotnik ignored the computer and tried to rip it open himself. Suddenly the computer issued a powerful electrical shock, knocking Robotnik off his feet. Sonic had to put a hand over his mouth to keep his laughter from being heard.

"Snively..." Robotnik's voice was quiet, but much more menacing than it had been before. "If that computer came from the king's chamber, it could be very important for finding those Freedom Fighters. If you can't open it soon, I might forget to be nice..." Snively swallowed hard. It was all too familiar to him what Robotnik was like when he forgot to be nice. "I'm going out now. Don't disappoint me, Snively."

Robotnik stormed out of the war room, leaving Snively completely alone. This was Sonic's chance. Faster than Snively could react, Sonic ran up to the table and grabbed the device. "Yo, Snivlers!" the hedgehog said, "I think you're workin' too hard. So let me take this off your hands. I'm sure the Big Round Guy won't mind." Sonic darted back into the duct as quickly as he had come in.

Snively shouted at the duct in an odd state of half-rage and half-panic, "I hate you, Sonic Hedgehog!" Then, muttering to himself, he continued, "How come the Big Round Guy always has to take it out on me?"

**III**

"Oh, don't worry, Sally Girl. Sawnic knows how to take care of 'imself," Bunny reassured Sally, who was pacing back and forth nervously across the floor of her house.

"He's been gone an awfully long time..." Sally thought aloud. Bunny looked at the clock. He had only left a few hours ago.

"C'mon, Honey, he hasn't been gone any longer than usual. He's fine."

Sally continued to pace, unconvinced of what Bunny had told her. Just then, the front door opened wide, and Sonic jumped in. "The Hedgehog has landed," he said, just like he always said when making a big entrance.

"Report, Sonic," Sally said gruffly, hiding her relief to see Sonic alive and well.

"Well, hello to you, too!" Sonic replied indignantly.

"Sorry," Sally said, "I was just getting a bit worried. You were gone an awfully long time."

"Moi?" Sonic asked, checking his watch, "I've only been gone four hours."

"Well, anyway - Is Robotnik planning anything new?"

"I don't know, Sal. I didn't stick around long enough to find out," Sonic said. Bunny just rolled her eyes, but Sally was clearly furious.

"Do you mean to tell me you've been gone all this time and you haven't found out _anything_?" Sally shrieked. Sonic looked at her innocently.

"Did I say that?" he asked sweetly. "I came back," he explained, "because I've found something really wild. I thought you should see it." Sonic produced the small computer he had stolen from Robotnik and handed it to Sally, who's anger was now replaced by intrigue.

"This is made of titanium," she said, examining the device, "Sonic, where did you get this?"

"Snively was kind enough to let me borrow it," Sonic replied, winking. Sally tried to open it, but was met with her own voice.

"Password required for recognition." Sally just looked at the computer, completely unsure of what to do next.

"Ummm... Open sesame?" Sonic tried.

"Incorrect password. User not recognized. Password required for recognition." Sonic's attempt was met with an angry glare from Sally.

"Or maybe it was open poppy seed," Sonic muttered to himself.

"I take it Robotnik didn't know the password either," Sally asked Sonic.

"You take it right," Sonic answered, "Apparently they've been trying to open it since they found it in the king's chambers a week ago."

"The king's chambers?" Sally said, surprised. She thought to herself for a moment, then spoke up, "I need everyone to leave the room."

Sonic and Bunny were perplexed by Sally, but they obeyed their leader's order. Sally walked over to her bed and sat down on it, still holding the device in her hands.

Now Sally looked over her shoulders, making sure she was completely alone. She whispered, "_Imperito per veneratio_" - To rule with honor. The computer opened, and a holographic image of the king appeared before her. Her family's secret credo was the correct password.

"My dearest Sally," the king's recording said, "If you are seeing this, then tragedy has befallen the royal family of Mobius, and I am no longer with you. This computer is the Neuroprocessor of Information from the Knothole On-Line Exchange, abbreviated NIKOLE. It was created by myself and Sir Charles. It will help you in your quest to bring the royal family back to its rightful place and restore peace to Mobius. Nikole is a very powerful computer, and you will find she is also a good companion. When you need to speak to Nikole, just call her by name, and she will answer. I hope to see you again, dearest Sally, but if that is not possible, then I implore you to rule this land with dignity, justice, and above all, honor. Farewell." The recording disappeared, leaving Sally alone in stunned silence. The first hints of tears were forming in her eyes from seeing her father again, even if it was only a recording.

When Sally was finally able to speak again, she shakily opened the computer and called to it. "Nikole?"

"Hello, Sally," Nikole replied mechanically, "How can I help you?"

Sally just continued to sit on the bed, staring at Nikole. "You were made by my father..." she said to herself.

"I was not," Nikole answered. It seemed to Sally that Nikole's voice was much less computerized, and much more comforting this time. "I was created by Sir Charles Hedgehog. Your father oversaw my creation."

"He said you were very powerful," Sally mused.

"He was referring to my 124-terabyte storage banks. I am capable of processing vast amounts of information," Nikole explained.

"He also said you were good companionship," she questioned, smiling a little.

"Yes, Sally," Nikole said, "Because of my high amount of memory, I will become more familiar with you as we spend time together. And in time, you will hopefully come to trust me more, as well."

Sally looked away. Nikole seemed friendly enough, but she was a robot. For that reason, Sally felt doubtful that she would ever come to fully trust Nikole. This doubt showed on her face.

"It is certainly logical to be suspicious of me, taking circumstances into consideration," Nikole said to Sally, who hadn't realized how obvious her emotions were. "But the robots of Mobius were created by Dr. Robotnik and his operatives. They function under entirely different protocols."

Sally smiled again. "I hope you're right," she said to Nikole. "As with any organic companion I have - if you're right, you'll earn my trust."

"Your solution is certainly acceptable," Nikole responded. Sally nodded and closed Nikole. Turning over the computer in her hands, she noticed a clip on the back. Sally clipped Nikole to her belt and left the house.

**IV**

"_WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S GONE!_" the Big Round Guy bellowed. Snively could only stare up at Robotnik nervously. Robotnik grabbed Snively by his tiny neck and held the unfortunate lackey up to his face. "Listen very closely, Snively. If you've lost that computer, so help me, I will throw you _under_ the dungeon!"

"...It...was...the...Hedgehog...sirrr!" Snively squeaked, choking in his boss's grip.

"The Hedgehog?" Robotnik said quickly, dropping Snively.

"Yes, sir," Snively answered, rubbing his throat. "He grabbed it and ran."

Robotnik rubbed his chin in thought. "The Hedgehog... He's fast, but he'll never figure out how to access that computer. Snively!"

Snively bolted to attention.

"We've got work to do!"

Snively bowed and followed his boss out of the room.


	3. The Guardian

**Chapter 3 ****–**** The Guardian**

**I**

I don't know, Tails. You think it'll work?" Rotor pondered as he and Tails were working on some finishing touches on his new machine. They had been working on it for a while now.

"If you are asking moi," Antoine noted dryly, "it is a silly waste of our time."

"Well, we are not asking you," Rotor said angrily as he glared at Antoine.

"Besides, Antoine," Sally added, more patiently than the others but still slightly irritated with Antoine's badgering, "How is building an airplane a waste of time? It will allow us to go more places, and we can move around faster."

"Oui, oui, of course, my princess!" Antoine said quickly, then turned to Rotor and Tails and demanded, "Well, what are you two waiting for? Get moving!" Antoine walked away before either of them could protest. Sally just looked back at him and shrugged, then returned to the task at hand.

"Well, that's about it, Princess Sally," Tails said as he made one final adjustment to the airplane, "Now we just need to find out if it'll fly."

"Sally, Tails. I'm just Sally – you can leave off the princess part," Sally kindly replied to the fox. She looked at the airplane again, then pulled out Nikole, her computer. "Nikole?" she prompted.

"Ready, Sally," Nikole responded.

"Analyze equipment – emphasis on aerodynamic capability," Sally instructed Nikole, pointing the computer at the machine Rotor and Tails had built.

"Analyzing, Sally…" Nikole scanned the airplane, processing all the information she gathered from seeing it, then gave her report. "Analysis complete. Aircraft is capable of flight to a maximum altitude of 36 thousand feet and a maximum airspeed of 150 knots. It is recommended, however, that this aircraft not be subjected to turbulence or strong crosswind. Report complete."

"Thank you, Nikole," Sally said before clipping the computer back to her belt. She smiled at Rotor and Tails, who looked at each other proudly and gave a high five.

"Okay, then," Tails pondered, "So we have a working airplane. Now where should we go with it?"

"Wait a sec," Rotor said uneasily, "I just helped build it. I'm not going anywhere in it. Nobody's getting me that far off the ground."

Sally laughed and answered, "Suit yourself, Rotor. Come with me, Tails – I'll show you what we're going to do with your new plane.

**II**

The strategy center in Knothole Village was not the cold and sinister light show that Robotnik's war room was. The only large computer in the room was the giant electronic map that made up the surface of the center table.

Around this table, the Freedom Fighters had all gathered to discuss the next mission. Sally stood at the head of the table, with Sonic and Tails on either side.

"Now," Sally began the briefing, "This mission is to be carried out by Sonic—"

"—and me," Tails interrupted.

Sally looked at him sympathetically, but replied, "I'm sorry, Tails. You're too young to be going out on missions."

Tails held his ground. "But, Sally," he reasoned, "I'm the only one of us who knows how to fly the plane."

"He's right, Sal," Sonic added.

Sally reluctantly nodded in agreement and continued her briefing. "There's something strange going on in the Elysian Ocean. We've detected energy readings from this place here," – Sally pointed to a small, unmarked island on the map – "that don't seem natural. I've given the readings to Nikole for analysis, but she was unable to identify the energy signature. Normally, we wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. But now, thanks to Rotor and Tails and their airplane, we can send someone out to investigate. Sonic, that's the mission for you and Tails."

"It's a long way…" Sonic considered. "We'll need stuff for several days."

"You really need to bring a power-ring, too. There's no telling what you may encounter," Sally advised. Sonic shrugged with indifference. He didn't care, but it seemed strange to him that Sally always wanted him bringing power-rings. More often than not, he didn't need them or have a use for them, but he would do as Sally advised. No harm in being prepared.

While some of the other Freedom Fighters were loading supplies into the storage compartment of the airplane, Tails was looking at a clipboard and making some final checks. Sonic was leaning against a stump, idly strumming his guitar. When Sally came to them, he casually stood up and faced her.

"Everything set, guys?" she asked Sonic and Tails.

Tails looked at his clipboard one more time and replied, "I think everything's ready, Sally."

Sally nodded to Tails and took Sonic by the arm. Pulling him away so only she and the Hedgehog could hear, she softly told Sonic, "You make sure you bring Tails back safely, or don't come back yourself." Sally was clearly bothered that the child had to go on such a big mission, but she knew Tails was right – she had no choice.

Sonic replied with uncharacteristic gentleness in his voice, "Don't worry, Sal. I'll look after him as if he was my own brother. Everything's gonna be okay. You'll see."

As Sonic and Tails began to climb into the airplane, Sally called out, "You be careful, too, Sonic Hedgehog!" Sonic said nothing, but winked back at the princess. As Sally backed away, Rotor stepped closer to the plane and waited.

Sonic and Tails donned their helmets and goggles – since the airplane had an open cockpit, they would need protection from the winds they would face. When they were ready, Tails leaned out to the side from the back seat, gave a thumbs-up signal and shouted to Rotor, "Contact!"

At this cue, Rotor grabbed a blade of the propeller and pushed it downward, then quickly took a step back. The propeller began to spin on its own, and the plane's engine roared to life. As they began to taxi, Sally yelled, "Good luck!" over the din of the airplane's engine. She watched the airplane as it picked up speed, lifted off the ground, and slowly rose out of sight.

**III**

"Where are we?" Tails asked Sonic, yelling to be heard over the engine and the wind rushing past. Sonic looked down at the map he had in his lap.

Twisting around so Tails could hear him, Sonic answered. "We're almost there. That island up ahead is what we're lookin' for!"

Tails pushed forward on the flight yolk, and the plane slowly dropped altitude. By the time they had reached the island, Tails was flying the airplane just above the treetops.

"Do you see anywhere to land, Tails?" Sonic asked his companion. Tails made no response, but pulled the plane slightly to the left, where he saw a clearing large enough for him to land. He throttled back, bringing the plane safely to the ground.

As they climbed out of the plane, Sonic and Tails looked at their surroundings. The island was unlike anything they had ever seen. The trees were large and green, and healthier than even the plant life of the Great Forest. The two companions were also surprised to see mushrooms as large as some of the trees. A breeze blew through the forest, only slightly disturbing the pristine leaves.

"Wow…" Sonic murmured, "This place is amazing. Now I wonder where this power source is that Sal was talking about. Tails, d'you know where to start looking?"

No answer. Sonic looked around for his companion, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Tails?" he tried again. Still he was met with only silence. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head – but it didn't last long before everything went black for Sonic the Hedgehog.

**IV**

When Sonic woke up, he found himself completely in the dark. He also noticed that his head was aching fiercely. Sonic tried to put his hand over his eyes but found he couldn't. He was bound hand and foot. Sonic moaned in pain.

"Sonic?" a familiar voice came.

"Tails?" Sonic moaned, "Is that you?"

"Yeah. I'm here," the fox responded, then asked, "Are you all right?"

"My head. Whoever's got me tied up must have hit me pretty hard," Sonic said. He turned his head in the direction of Tails's voice, trying to see the young fox, but the room was in total darkness and he could see nothing. "Where are we?" Sonic asked.

"You're my guests!" A rough voice came from somewhere in the darkness. A single, bright light came on in the room.

"Who are you?" Sonic called out to the unseen source of the voice.

"Oh yes, how rude of me. Allow me to introduce myself," the voice replied. A figure stepped into the light – a red echidna. "I am Chanak-Te, Last of the Echidna. Now to business. Who the heck are you? And what are you doing on Angel Island?"

"W-we didn't mean to intrude," Tails stammered nervously.

"We're looking for something," Sonic explained, "A strange type of energy."

Chanak-Te glared at Sonic angrily. "The Angel's Turmoil! I was warned that the likes of you would come here and try to steal it." He leaned forward, his gaze meeting Sonic's. His face was so close, Sonic could feel the echidna's breath. Chanak-Te grabbed Sonic's throat and spoke dangerously, "I should kill you and your friend right now, hedgehog."

"Wait!" Tails spoke up quickly, "We don't mean any harm! We're Freedom Fighters!"

The red hand around Sonic's throat loosened its grip and finally released its hold, but it was clear to the two companions that the mention of Freedom Fighters did not engender the same respect from Chanak-Te that it did from most organic life forms. The echidna began to pace back and forth in front of Sonic and Tails, fidgeting with his quills as he brooded. Finally, he stopped pacing and let go of his quills, letting them fall loosely to his shoulders. He pointed an accusing finger at Sonic and Tails and remarked, "You're nothing but terrorists. Dr. Robotnik has told me all about you. You and your kind, you cut down all the trees for fuel, pollute the air and the water, enslave all the people around you. Then you proudly identify yourselves as Freedom Fighters and expect me to leap to your evil cause." Chanak-Te spat on the floor in contempt. Sonic and Tails could only stare open-mouthed at the echidna.

"Terrorists, you say…" Sonic replied incredulously, "And Robotnik told you all this?"

Chanak-Te nodded and turned his chilling stare toward Sonic. "And more. You're the worst of all, hedgehog. You use your unnatural speed as a weapon. You do your damage and dart away like the coward you are."

Sonic only continued to gawk at Chanak-Te, but Tails was losing patience. "You've got it all wrong, Chanak-Te!" he bristled. "Robotnik is the one doing all that! He's the one who's destroying everything and replacing it with machines! We're trying to stop that! You've got to believe us!"

Chanak-Te pondered the fox's statement. His face changed for only a moment, then returned to its hardened gaze. "Robotnik has shown me the damage you've done to this planet. You'll have to prove that what you say is true."

"Untie us and we will," Sonic said, also beginning to raise his voice with impatience.

The echidna returned his gaze to Sonic. "I will do what you ask." He produced a glowing stone and held it up for Sonic to see clearly. "But I carry the Angel's Turmoil with me. If you or your friend try anything, I have enough power to destroy you both very quickly." Tails gulped loudly, knowing that this was the energy source they were seeking.

Sonic took it all in stride, and said to Chanak-Te, "Fair enough. Now get us out of here. We'll have to fly to the city, Tails. I'm going to let the echidna hear it straight from His Royal Roundness's mouth."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Chanak-Te answered skeptically as he cut the bonds to Sonic's hands.

"Don't worry," Sonic said determinedly, "You will."

**V**

It was almost dark when the three of them reached Robotropolis. This flight was much less comfortable, since the Freedom Fighters' aircraft was only designed for two passengers. Sonic had to share the front seat with Chanak-Te as Tails piloted, flying very low in order to avoid being detected by the radar network surrounding the city.

The plane landed within sight of the large, egg-shaped edifice that was Robotnik's headquarters. "I warn you, hedgehog," Chanak-Te whispered as they climbed out of the plane, "If you're lying to me, then so help me, I'll…"

"Shh!" Sonic interrupted impatiently. A group of sentry bots was passing through the entrance to the building. Sonic quietly ran through the door behind the bots and motioned for Chanak-Te and Tails to do the same. The echidna and the fox followed, making it through the door just as it began to close. The vents that Sonic used so often to spy on Robotnik would now serve his purpose again. When the three reached Sonic's usual spot near the war-room, Sonic was relieved to find Robotnik and Snively there. Robotnik was giving Snively the usual amount of abuse.

"But, Dr. Robotnik, I don't see—"

"For the last time, Snively, it's all part of the plan! Don't you see, you fool? Angel Island is one of the last places left on Mobius that is beyond my control." Chanak-Te became very alert, inching closer to the vent to hear the conversation better. The doctor continued, "I have already taken the first steps in my plan. The only remaining creature on that wretched island works for me now, so if the Hedgehog or any other of those foolish Freedom Fighters interfere, I will be able to put a quick stop to it."

Chanak-Te bristled with quietly building rage as Robotnik gave his impatient explanation to Snively, who still couldn't manage to understand his boss's purpose. "But what is so important about Angel Island, sir?" the lackey asked. All this time, Chanak-Te had been getting slightly closer to the opening, trying to get a better vantage point. Sonic noticed and tried to warn the echidna that he could be seen, but it was too late.

"Snively," Robotnik sighed exasperatedly, pointing to the vent, "We're not alone. I seem to have a rodent infestation." Quick as lightning, Robotnik had grabbed the unfortunate echidna from the vent and pulled him into the room. Sonic took tails and quickly receded further into the duct to avoid detection.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Robotnik mused, still holding Chanak-Te in the steel-tight grip of his robotic right arm. "I said to you we have an inside man, Snively, but I must say I am surprised to see him _this _far inside. Why are you here, Chanak-Te?"

"Sorry, Doc," Chanak-Te heatedly answered, "You're not fooling anyone any more. The Hedgehog and I have reached an understanding."

"Oh, have you indeed?" Robotnik said unconcernedly.

"Yeah," the echidna answered, "Now let me go."

Robotnik dropped Chanak-Te in disgust and turned to Snively. "You know what to do, Snively. I've found that echidnas make excellent miners. I'm sure this one will be no different. Take him away!"

**VI**

The Roboticision Chamber was very much like Robotnik's war room, but presented a much more dangerous appearance. Green lights blinked everywhere. Most of the lights were concentrated on a large computer console on one of the walls of the room. Worker bots rolled back and forth across the room, constantly checking and adjusting the numerous computers. The only bright light in the chamber was directly in the center, over a circular platform on the floor. From the floor to the ceiling, a glass tube surrounded the circle on the floor. In this glass tube stood Chanak-Te, Robotnik's next subject for roboticision.

"I trusted you!" the echidna shouted furiously as the doctor and Snively calmly entered the room.

"Oh, dear me, that certainly was foolish, wasn't it?" Robotnik answered nonchalantly. "You see, old boy, you have seen much of my operation. That stone you brought with you – I find it remarkable. It's the power source I was looking for on Angel Island. You brought it right to me, dear boy, and I can't thank you enough, so… I won't."

"You may kill me, Robotnik, but someone will defeat you in the end!"

"Kill you? Goodness, no," Robotnik responded with the same sinister calmness, "You're far too valuable for me to kill. You're going to be one of my miner bots. With your skills, you may even come to take charge of my mining operations." Robotnik walked away from Chanak-Te to a large switch on the main computer console. As his hand came closer to the switch, he said to the echidna, "Nothing personal, dear boy, but you've lost, and this is what happens to losers."

"Yo! Ro-_butt_-nik!" a familiar voice came from the vent in the room just as the doctor was about to throw the switch. "You should show better manners to your guests!"

A blue streak sped into the room, and Robotnik found himself face to face with Sonic and Tails. He looked at them indifferently. "This time, you're too late, Hedgehog," he sighed, then he threw the switch. Inside the glass tube, sparks and bolts of electricity began to build. There was a brilliant flash of light inside the tube, and when it subsided, Chanak-Te's red hands were replaced with large, metal hands with two spikes on the back of each. Suddenly, the electricity and sparks stopped. The glass slid up through the ceiling, and Chanak-Te dropped to his knees, gritting his teeth in pain. Where Robotnik had thrown the main switch, the console was smashed, and Sonic stood in front of it, facing Robotnik in defiance.

"You've spoiled my plans for the last time, Hedgehog." Robotnik pushed a button on the back of his robotic arm, and an alarm began to sound wildly throughout the building.

Looking at Tails, Sonic said softly, "Hang tight. Time to bail." Sonic reached into his backpack and pulled out the power-ring. As he held it up above his head, the power-ring began to glow. It glowed so brightly, Robotnik and Snively were blinded. The radiance was so intense, the brightest light in the room seemed to dim in comparison. Sonic grabbed Tails, ran to the middle of the room, grabbed Chanak-Te, and left the room fast, leaving Robotnik and Snively in bewildered stupor.

**VII**

Sonic came to a stop in the junkyard on the outskirts of Robotropolis. He looked around to make sure they weren't followed, then looked at Chanak-Te. "Are you gonna be all right?" he asked cautiously.

The echidna looked down at his ruined hands, shaking his head. "Look at this," he wailed.

"But you're alive," Tails said, trying to offer some encouragement to Chanak-Te, "and you're you. Robotnik wasn't able to finish the process."

"I'm a _freak_!" the echidna screamed at Tails, who stepped back fearfully. Chanak-Te held out his robotic hands and yelled, "What am I supposed to do with _this_!" A large, thick piece of sheet metal was in a junk pile nearby. With an angry cry, Chanak-Te brought his steel fist down on the sheet of metal, ripping it in half with the force of the blow.

"I'm sorry about your hands, Chanak-Te. Truly," Sonic said sympathetically. Then, more firmly, he added, "But the way I see it, you've got two choices. You can go back to Angel Island and complain for the rest of your life, or you can put your new hands to use and make Robotnik pay."

Chanak-Te looked up from his hands and met Sonic's eyes questioningly. "The Freedom Fighters of Mobius want to stop Robotnik." Sonic put a reassuring hand on the echidna's shoulders and added, "Come with us."

Chanak-Te looked down at his hands forlornly, then returned his gaze to Sonic and nodded decisively. Sonic smiled and replied, "You've made the right choice, Chanak-Te."

Chanak-Te waved Sonic's statement off and answered, "No. That's no longer my name. I've chosen a new one – a name Robotnik will come to fear. A name he'll not easily forget when we meet again."

"What, then?" Sonic asked.

The echidna replied in a voice that rang with conviction, a sign of the vengeance and rage he held for his new enemy, "My name is Knuckles."


	4. Secrets of Ironlock Part I

**Chapter 4 ****–****Secrets of Ironlock (Part I)**

Darkness had settled over Robotropolis. Not the city's normal sickly, brown darkness born of an atmosphere filled with smog and pollution, but a deep, consuming darkness seen only after the haze-obscured sun fell below the horizon. The murky dusk was broken only by the city lights – pinpoints of orange and gold and red that shone through the gloom all over the area. To the distant observer, it would have been a picturesque metropolis, sparkling and shining in the night. To Sonic the Hedgehog, it was a grim reminder that evil was still firmly in control of Planet Mobius.

It had been ten years since Sonic had seen a free Mobius. For all that time, Julian Robotnik had held the planet in his steel grip. Only Sonic and a handful of fellow patriots remained to resist Robotnik's tyranny.

As Sonic watched for the coast to be clear, he thought of all that had been lost. King Maximilian had been the first to go. Nobody really knew what became of him. Then his Uncle Chuck, the hedgehog who raised him since his orphan childhood. Sir Charles Hedgehog – Chuck – had been roboticized, and the last Sonic had heard, he was in charge of one of the smaller mining operations for Robotnik. Sonic sighed. Robotnik certainly couldn't be taken lightly. He gave no quarter and asked for none. There was no mercy. Only roboticision – that terrible process that destroyed a person and left a mechanical shell. Some said the Roboticizer took away the soul. Sonic certainly couldn't deny that, though he hoped that something of the victim survived. One day he would know. But when?

"Hey, Sonic!" An urgent whisper from behind interrupted the hedgehog's thoughts. Sonic turned around and looked behind the junk pile he was on to find Knuckles and Antoine standing there, looking up at him impatiently. "Are we going or what?" the echidna asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "The Princess is probably wondering what happened to us by now."

Sonic slid down the pile to join his companions, letting them know all was clear. None of them liked being in the city after dark – nighttime was dangerous for organic life forms in a city full of unfriendly electronic and infrared eyes that didn't need light in order to see. But Princess Sally had assured them this mission was too important, too vital to wait. As they began to make their way into the city, Sonic wondered what Robotnik was planning. It was unlike Sally to be so hasty. The young leader of the Knothole Freedom Fighters usually took days to create her plans and strategies.

Sonic shook his head to clear his mind. They had reached their target. It was time to concentrate. The hangar in front of them was much larger than most, even for Robotnik's terrifying air force. It looked equally impossible to enter. Sonic didn't let it discourage him. In the briefing this morning, Knuckles had volunteered to get them inside. Knuckles. Sonic smiled. The newest member of the freedom fighters had only been with them for a week, but he had already gone on two reconnaissance missions and sabotaged one of Robotnik's SWAT-bots for some machine parts for Rotor. The last of the echidna may have lost his hands to the terrible roboticizer, but he had certainly not lost his pride.

"Your turn, Knux," Sonic whispered to his companion. "How do we get inside?"

Knuckles said nothing, but motioned for Sonic and Antoine to follow. He led them away from the front door and around to the side of the hangar, ducking behind the stacks of crates and barrels that lay all around. Finally, he stopped in front of the wall. "This is it."

Antoine, who had been following more slowly – and shakily – joined Sonic and Knuckles. "M-m-maybe one of us should be going to Knothole and… and… getting reinforcements?" he stammered, nervously shifting his gaze from side to side.

"I wonder who he's got in mind," Knuckles muttered irritably.

"Look, Ant," Sonic said impatiently. "Sally needs us in there. If you wanna go back, you're on your own." As Sonic spoke, his face began to take on a mischievous smile, "but, umm…. There's no telling how many SWAT-bots you might run into on the way. The Roboticizer is open 24-7. It'd be too bad if you ended up sorting microchips for Ro-butt-nik."

"All right! Oui, oui, I'll 'elp!" Antoine said fearfully. "But 'ow are we getting into this place? I see only a big wall 'ere."

"Leave that to me, Antoine," Knuckles said confidently as he examined the wall. "I chose this spot," he explained. "Because I know there's stuff for us to hide behind on the other side." Knuckles took a step toward the wall and tapped it lightly with the back of one robotic hand, as if testing the thickness of the metal. He pulled his hand back, and two spikes extended from between his fingers. Robotnik had given him the spikes that became his namesake, but since Knuckles had joined the freedom fighters, he had used those spikes to inflict as much damage as possible on the nefarious dictator.

With the spikes out, Knuckles punched the wall. Sonic and Antoine looked around anxiously to see if anyone had heard the loud metallic clang. If a bot came to investigate, they would have to dispatch it. If too many came, they'd have to abandon the mission. After a few minutes of silence, they breathed a sigh of relief. They were alone. Sonic was surprised. If this place was so important for Robotnik, why had he not posted guards outside the building?

Knuckles began to run his hand up the wall, cutting through the metal with the spikes in the back of his hand. His new hands were useful for more than just weapons. The echidna was able to use his new ability to get the freedom fighters into places they couldn't otherwise go. When he had finished, he set the cut square of metal quietly down on the ground beside him. Motioning for Sonic and Antoine to follow, he climbed through the hole.

Inside the hangar was brightly lit, and seemingly just as empty of guards as the outside. Sonic, Knuckles, and Antoine had found themselves behind another pile of crates. "What do you suppose Robotnik's doing with all this stuff?" Sonic pondered aloud.

"It's probably machine parts," Knuckles considered. "Robotnik would need them if he's building more of these." Knuckles waved his hand above his head as he spoke. Sonic and Antoine peered upward and gaped at what Knuckles was looking at. Stretching the length of the hangar on either side, rows of strange-looking aircraft were perched on large supports protruding from the ground. The machines had a shape resembling a boomerang, but much wider from front to back. At the front point of each machine was a large lens that Sonic guessed was an electronic eye.

"This must be what Sal was so jumpy about," Sonic murmured. "I bet they're dangerous. And I don't like how many of them are here, whatever the case."

"Quick! Get down!" Knuckles whispered urgently, grabbing Sonic's shoulder and pushing him down to a kneeling position. Sonic looked questioningly at the echidna, who turned his head in a gesture for Sonic to look to the center of the hangar. A large, bipedal robot was headed in their direction. This robot, several times bigger than them, had no visible face; only a large piece of tinted glass covering the frontal part of what seemed to be the head.

_A patrol bot._ Sonic groaned inwardly at their misfortune. They were stuck. If this patrol bot knew where they were, then they would only find themselves surrounded when they went back outside. Their best and only option was to hide behind the crates and hope they hadn't been spotted.

The bot continued to come closer and closer to the three companions. It seemed certain the mission was compromised. The freedom fighters were about to jump back through the hole in the wall and make for the outskirts when the glass screen flipped up, revealing Princess Sally inside, operating the bot. "Hi, guys," she said calmly. "You ready to get to work?"

Sonic, still trying to overcome the shock of seeing Sally and the relief of not being captured, stepped out from behind the crate and looked around the room more thoroughly.

"So this is what couldn't wait until tomorrow?" he asked.

"Exactly," Sally replied. "They're complete, but not active yet. Robotnik is supposed to install the final piece of programming tomorrow morning."

"What are they?" Knuckles asked.

"Stealth bots," Sally answered grimly. "Our radar system operates through the Knothole Online Exchange. Robotnik can't figure out how to find it. And he's not likely to, either. Unfortunately, he knows that, too, so he's been looking for ways around it. It seems he's found one. Nikole can't sense the presence of these bots. And if she can't see them, that means our radar can't detect them either. Instead of trying to fight them, it'll be simpler to destroy them before they're finished. According to the hangar computer's memory banks, Robotnik's been working on this for months. This hangar is full, and there are two more in other places. If we can destroy the bots and erase the computer, it'll really set him back in such a way that he won't quickly recover."

"So what do we do?" Sonic asked.

The princess climbed down out of the patrol bot with a handful of small, marble-sized black pieces of metal. "Right," she explained, "Knuckles, you and Antoine take these." She handed the little black chips to Knuckles, who gave half of them to Antoine. "Start putting them underneath those stealth bots. And be careful," Knuckles and Antoine nodded in response. "Sonic," Sally continued. "You're with me."

When Sally had finished, the freedom fighters dispersed and went to their assigned tasks. As Sonic followed the princess through the hangar, he noticed something he had missed when he first entered. At one corner of the hangar was a small room, about eight feet wide and eight feet long, with windows covering the two walls that faced toward the inside of the hangar.

_So that's where we're going,_ the hedgehog thought to himself. It had to be a control center of some kind. Robotnik would eventually be able to operate the stealth bots from his war room, Sonic knew, but until they were completed, he had to input the programming from somewhere close by.

The door to the control room was locked. Sonic turned around to make sure nobody was coming, then nodded to Sally, who took out her small computer.

"Nikole?"

"Ready, Sally," the computer responded.

Sally pointed Nikole at the keypad next to the door – Robotnik was never one for lock and key; everything had a digital combination lock. "Run decryption program."

"Running, Sally…" the computer responded. Sonic smiled inwardly. He didn't know how they ever did anything before he had found Nikole and snatched it right from under Robotnik's nose. Sally certainly never went anywhere without the little machine. Interesting that they were relying so much on a robot in their fight to free Mobius, especially considering who they were fighting.

A green light appeared above the keypad, and the soft ring of the deadbolt shifting in the door could be heard. "Decryption complete," Nikole said. "Enter when ready."

The control room was small and confined, but it commanded a view of the entire hangar. No one would be able to enter without being seen by Sonic and Sally. Of course, Sally had left Sonic to be on the lookout for anyone approaching. As soon as they had entered, the princess immediately sat down and began examining one of the myriad of computer consoles in the room. After a minute, she took out Nikole again and inserted her into an outlet on the console. The little device fit perfectly into the drive. Uncle Chuck had apparently been very thorough in designing the machine.

"Nikole, upload file," Sally input aloud.

"File upload program ready, Sally. Please specify file to upload," the computer responded. Sonic wished he knew more about technology than he did. Sally and Nikole seemed to be working more and more as a team every day. Sonic didn't doubt that Nikole would be just another member of the Freedom Fighters, treated with the same confidence as Bunny or Rotor or anyone else.

"File ," Sally continued. "Include status timer, Nikole. File status inactive. Set status to active at 2300 hours." Sally began typing at the console keyboard as soon as Nikole confirmed her command. "We don't want to give ourselves away too soon," the princess explained to Sonic, who had begun pacing back and forth near the door. "Just be patient."

"Hey – patient, nothing, Sal," Sonic answered agitatedly, "We're in robo-country, and that always makes me edgy. I hope Knux and Ant are hurryin' up with those microchips."

"Well, I'm all done here," Sally said, pulling Nikole from the port in the control room's console. "Now we just need to wait for – hey!" A loud beep from Nikole interrupted Sally.

"Incoming text message, Sally," Nikole stated. Sally flipped the device open and looked at the small screen. Her eyes widened, and she gasped so loud that Sonic jumped in surprise. Usually, nothing could faze the princess, even in the most tense of circumstances. This time, though, she had almost dropped Nikole on the floor, she was so startled.

"Well, what's up, Sal?" Sonic asked impatiently.

Sally continued to stare silently at Nikole, lost in thought, until she finally looked absently at the hedgehog and replied, "It says… '_bean_'."

"_That's_ the big message that's got you so wound up? Remind me to bring the popcorn when you get the text message that says '_tomato_'," Sonic laughed cynically, earning an icy glare from the princess.

"Don't you understand, Sonic?" she growled, wiping the smirk off the hedgehog's face, "'_Bean_' is what my father always called me when I was a little girl. This message had to come from him."

It was Sonic's turn to gasp. "The King?" he said incredulously. "He's alive?"

Sally shook her head, not in disagreement with Sonic, but in puzzlement from the message. "I… I don't know," she murmured. "I can't think of anyone else who would know to send a message like that. "Nikole?"

"Ready, Sally," the computer responded faithfully.

"Can you trace the source of the message?"

"Affirmative. Triangulating…" Sonic was standing behind Sally now, staring intently over her shoulder at Nikole. "Source confirmed. Message sent from the Dark Swamp. Terminal located in Ironlock Prison."

They both gasped this time. Ironlock Prison… an ancient dungeon decommissioned centuries before they were born. Denizens of Ironlock were subjected to torture, thirst, starvation… the prison had marked one of the darkest chapters of Mobian history. Even Robotnik avoided it whenever possible… Would the king really be desperate enough to hide there, or was Robotnik really cruel enough to incarcerate him there?

"Sonic," Sally whispered, her voice still shaking. "Bring Antoine and Knuckles in here. They should be finished by now."

"Got it," Sonic nodded and darted out the door. Even he was pretty stunned by this new information. How could the king possibly be there? If King Maximilian was even alive, which seemed doubtful, why had he not been roboticized? Dr. Robotnik killed or roboticized anyone who stood in his way, regardless of how important or powerful his opponent. Surely Robotnik wouldn't send the king to a place of which the doctor himself was afraid. Not when it would be simpler and easier to just roboticize him.

Antoine jumped when Sonic tapped him on the back. "Don't be sneaking up on me like that again, Sonic!" he yelped angrily – then yelped again in shock when a stinging smack from the hedgehog hit the back of his head. They were supposed to be _quiet_!

"Where's Knuckles?" Sonic whispered. Antoine curtly pointed behind Sonic, who turned around to find the echidna standing there waiting for him. "You guys finished yet? Sal's got something."

They followed Sonic back inside to the control room, where Princess Sally was waiting for them. Their reactions to the _bean_ message were very similar – if not quite so tactless – to Sonic's. "What does it mean?" Knuckles asked pensively.

"It means," Sally explained patiently. "That my father is alive. Or at least that someone else knows what he used to call me. Either way, it's important."

The others nodded in agreement. If the king was alive, it would be a major step in the recovery of Mobius. Sally lowered her eyes. "We have to go there," she whispered

"Wait, wait," Knuckles replied skeptically. "You mean, go there, as in… go to Ironlock?"

"Sal, we all wanna see the king again," Sonic added, equally startled by her suggestion. "But… we're talking Ironlock Prison. Nobody in their right mind goes within ten miles of that place. Even the Rotund One stays clear of it! We have to figure out something else."

"If my father's alive—" Sally began.

"We cannot be going there," Antoine interrupted. "There will be high walls, and traps, and all sorts of 'orrible things!"

"It's a risk we have to take, Antoine," Sally countered stubbornly. "If my father is alive, we need him. As the rightful king of Mobius, he could be the edge the Freedom Fighters need for defeating Robotnik. You can all stay here, then. I'll go by myself."

"Whoa, hold up a sec, Sal," Sonic said, also beginning to lose patience. Ant could be such a wet blanket sometimes, but he had a point. "If you're not going to change your mind about this, you still can't do it alone. You'll need help."

"These bots can't be allowed to be completed," the Princess replied. "We still have two hangars to sabotage before tomorrow morning. We can't all go to Ironlock. We need someone fast and someone strong to finish things here in Robotropolis." Antoine put his hands on his hips and gave a cocky smile that made Sonic sick to his stomach, "so I guess that leaves me with Antoine. I'm counting on you and Knuckles to take care of things here."

As Antoine almost visibly deflated, Sally pressed a button on the left side of Nikole, and two little cards popped out. She handed them to Sonic. "There's a smaller computer in each of the other two hangars," she explained. "The bots are linked to those computers. Those cards will disable the firewalls on them, and the virus I put on this computer will spread through the hangar's network _and_ every other robot connected to it."

Sonic stared down at the cards for a second or two, then perplexedly looked at Sally and responded, "Say what?"

Sally groaned frustratedly and pointed at the cards. "Just put those cards into the computers in the other two hangars. You'll need Knuckles to get in."

"Got it," Sonic nodded. "We'll probably finish before you guys. Meet us at the usual place outside the city. If we're not there, wait about an hour, then get yourself back to Knothole," then, lowering his voice a little, as if trying to keep the others from hearing, he added, "Be careful, Sal. I hear Ironlock is no place for a lady." He had to duck back in order to avoid the slap the Princess tried to give him for that. Sal was no lady, but Sonic egged her on shamelessly about it.

As they were preparing to exit the hangar and go to their respective missions, Sonic turned to the Princess and, with a gentler voice this time, said to her, "I hope you find your dad, Sal. I really do."

Sally smiled hopefully before answering, "So do I, Sonic. So do I."


	5. Secrets of Ironlock Part II

**Chapter 5 ****–**** Secrets of Ironlock (Part II)**

**I**

Princess Sally Acorn looked around. The Dark Swamp was unfamiliar territory to her. Nikole had a map of the area, but it was sketchy at best. Even before Robotnik's coup of Planet Mobius, the putrid slough was avoided at all costs, leaving it largely uncharted. Robotnik still stayed away from the Dark Swamp, and the lone building in it that was Sally's destination. A shudder coursed down the princess's spine at the thought. Ironlock Prison – long-abandoned and isolated from the world, but not before building a fearful reputation of cruelty and severity toward prisoners.

_This had better be worth it_, Sally told herself for the hundredth time since leaving the city for Ironlock Prison. If she found what she was looking for, it certainly would be. It would undoubtedly be difficult. Ironlock Prison was said to be a veritable fortress, and she only had Antoine to…

…_where is Antoine?_

The princess looked around again and found her companion sitting in a tree, shaking. "Antoine?" She called to him, "Antoine, are you all right?"

"Oh, oui, my princess," Antoine answered feebly.

"Antoine, what's the matter? You're trembling!"

"Oh, non, non," he said shakily, "Not trembling… Sh-sh-sheevering!" He sneezed. "I must've caught a – 'ow you say," He sneezed again. "A terrible cold… We go home now, yes?"

Sally snorted, unconvinced. She should have known her sniveling friend was up to his usual tricks. "We go home now, _no_, Antoine," she replied sternly, "If my father is alive, then I'm going to find him. If not, then I want to know the truth. Do I make myself clear, Antoine D'Colette?"

Sally's tone left little room for the wrong answer. The jumpy squire bobbed his head up and down quickly, as if more frightened of Sally than the dangers they were to face. "What are you doing up there, anyway, Antoine?" the princess added, almost as an afterthought.

"Ummm… well…" Antoine replied, "Someone should be looking out for… for… anyone to be coming?"

"Come down, Antoine," Sally grunted, rolling her eyes. She should never have taken him along in the first place – but then, Antoine always seemed to get in her way. He had volunteered to go on the mission to sabotage the stealth bots. He frequently seemed to volunteer for missions. On the missions, however, he was a great big coward. Sally didn't understand why he kept volunteering, then chickening out while on missions. Maybe he was trying to impress her by his willingness to jump into the fray. Well, it would take more than going on missions to be impressive – volunteering was useless for one who was scared by his own shadow.

"Look, Antoine," she said tersely, pointing at a structure looming behind the trees. "Ironlock Prison is just ahead. There's no telling what we might run into up there. I told the others I wouldn't go alone, but I won't have you pulling me down in there. If you can't cut it, then get back to Knothole. Otherwise, stick close and quit griping. We've got a job to do."

Antoine gulped loudly, but then he stood a little straighter and said, "Oui, my Princess. I will not fail."

"Good, Antoine. Now let's go," Sally answered sternly. She was chuckling inwardly, though – maybe there was hope for him yet.

**II**

"In a minute, Hedgehog!" Knuckles growled after Sonic asked for the third time if he was finished yet. _Always on the move_, the echidna thought to himself. His new friends were an eclectic bunch. From Sally's no-nonsense ways to Tails and Rotor's mechanical prowess to Antoine's snobbery, they each had their own distinct personality quirks. This Sonic character was hard to figure, though. On the surface the carefree irreverence seemed so simple, but it couldn't be that easy. Sonic was too dedicated for that. Knuckles suspected that beneath the exterior indifference was an incredibly complex mind.

Sonic was seventeen – little more than a boy, but with all that had happened on Mobius, seventeen was more than enough years for a past. The Hedgehog prided himself on being the fastest thing alive. _But is that fast enough, Sonic?_ Knuckles contemplated. There was more to this hedgehog than just the physical running. Sonic was running in his mind, too. Running _away _fromsomething Knuckles couldn't begin to guess.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity even to Knuckles, the cutting was finished, and another of Robotnik's hangars had a hole in the wall. "I'll go first," Sonic whispered, darting through the hole before Knuckles could protest.

"Always on the move," the echidna sighed out loud this time. When Sonic signaled that all was clear, Knuckles followed him into the hangar.

This one was much like the first two hangars the Freedom Fighters had sabotaged. Bright, sterile, and most importantly, empty of guards. "Something's wrong here," Knuckles commented to Sonic. "None of the hangars have had any guards. It's too much to just be good luck – especially if these stealth bots are as high-priority as Princess Acorn seems to think."

Sonic chuckled and replied, "Sally, Knux. Sally. Call her Princess Acorn to her face and you're likely to get punched. And as for the guards, I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Let's go."

The computer room of this hangar was very much like the last one. It had lots of windows, a wall covered with computers – and a locked door. Knuckles began to examine the door carefully. "You can look at that door forever, but you won't find a way to open it quietly, Knux," Sonic remarked impatiently after a few seconds.

Knuckles continued to look for another way, but he finally stepped back and replied, "I'm afraid you're right, Sonic. I wish Nikole was still here." Quickly, the echidna drew back his fist and extended the spikes from his robotic hands, then punched the door. Dislodged from its hinges and bent by the force of the blow, the door fell to the floor with a loud crash. Knuckles turned his head to Sonic and added, "I think I hate this job."

"You know what your problem is?" Sonic said as they entered the small room, "Your trouble is that you're too dang serious. Loosen up a bit, man."

Rolling his eyes, Knuckles approached the main computer in the hangar. A panel of the outer casing would have to be removed before the microchip could be installed. Sonic handed Knuckles a screwdriver from his backpack. The echidna found that his robotic hands made it impossible to hold it as he needed to remove the screws from the panel. Cursing Robotnik for destroying all dexterity in his hands, Knuckles extended his spikes once again. This time, however, instead of punching the panel, he gently touched one of the spikes to a screw. The spike on his hand began to rotate counterclockwise, taking the screw with it. The loose screw fell to the counter below. When all of the screws had been removed, Knuckles carefully lifted the panel free and handed it to his dumfounded hedgehog companion.

"Way past cool, Knux," Sonic declared, still staring at the panel in his hands. "How did you know to do that?"

Knuckles just shrugged and replied, "Dunno, Sonic. I just did. It's kind of unsettling, actually. You got the microchip?"

Sonic quietly placed the panel on the counter and took the tiny black card out of his backpack. He held it out for Knuckles, who shook his head and said, "You're going to have to do it. I'll just drop the chip."

Knuckles stood aside, allowing the hedgehog to insert the covert chip on the console. When the microchip was in place, Sonic looked questioningly to Knuckles, who simply answered, "I think that's it, Sonic. The princess has supposedly taken care of the hard part for us."

"Good," Sonic quickly replied, already heading for the door, "Let's bail."

"Not so fast, Hedgehog," Knuckles said, grabbing Sonic on the shoulder.

"C'mon, Knuckles. Sally's gonna need our help."

The echidna let Sonic go and picked up the plate he had removed from the computer console. Trying to retain a mask of calmness despite the Hedgehog's impatience, Knuckles replied, "Give me a second. This whole thing will be a gigantic waste of our time if somebody sees what we've done."

"All right, all right," Sonic answered agitatedly, "But hurry it up."

Knuckles sighed again and rolled his eyes. _Always on the move._

As soon as Knuckles had finished replacing the panel, Sonic darted for the door, barely giving his companion time to catch up. Sonic was certainly in a hurry to get to the Dark Swamp. They ran several blocks in a very short period of time. Unfortunately for the two, they were too late to notice they had been running headlong into a troop of SWAT-bots.

**III**

Ironlock Prison's appearance was as grim and foreboding as its reputation. Though the structure lay on the only high ground in the mire, it was surrounded by a deep moat assailable only by a single drawbridge, lowered many centuries ago. Beyond the moat was a labyrinth of towers, corridors and high walls – all of dingy grey stone, darkened by age and pollution from the nearby city of Robotropolis.

"Umm… my princess? I am, uh, thinking…" Antoine commented meekly, "zees place… is no so good for our health. We should wait for the others."

Even Sally had to admit the prison was certainly unsettling. There was no telling what kind of creatures were desperate enough to hide from Robotnik in such an awful place. She certainly wasn't about to mention that to her craven companion, though. He'd be gone before she could blink, regardless of the mission… And waiting for the others was out of the question. She didn't have time to wait. Her father could be alive. This was one time, however, that Antoine's sniveling would draw no reproach.

"We've got to go in there, Antoine," Sally said gently, "We can't wait. I know that message came from my father. He could be in here... But even if he's not, he felt something was important enough to risk sending a message from the computer here. Either way, we've got to find out what's going on in Ironlock."

Antoine looked around nervously, as if trying to find some kind of escape from going on with the mission, then finally hung his head down in resignation and murmured, "Oui, my princess."

As the pair approached the lowered drawbridge, Sally noticed metal bands on each side that ran along the length of the bridge to hold the boards together. "Stay close to the edge, Antoine. We'll probably be safer there." Antoine said nothing in reply but merely nodded tensely. They began to creep slowly across the drawbridge to avoid disturbing the centuries-old wood beneath them. When they were about halfway across the bridge, Sally noticed a creaking noise. Antoine bolted upright and interjected, "What was that?"

Before the princess could answer, the metal bands began to bend – worn down by centuries of erosion and rust, the weight of two people was too much for them – and Sally lost her footing. She fell facedown on the boards which, to her surprise, did not give way and send her to a messy, watery death. The bridge, now heaving back and forth under Sally and Antoine's movement, would not last much longer. As Sally scrambled to her feet, Antoine anxiously shouted, "Run, my princess! Run!" They both ran, setting foot on solid ground just as the metal bands broke, sending boards, rivets, and debris plunging into the cloudy moat. They had reached Ironlock Prison.

"Whew, my princess…" Antoine sighed, collapsing to his knees, "I am thinking this is a bad idea. We must to be returning to Knothole."

Sally had to sit, too, after that near-death encounter. To Antoine, she shakily replied, "We can't, Antoine. That bridge is the only way out of here."

A wide-eyed Antoine stared back across the moat – a now-impassible canyon between them and the swamp. "What-what-what are we going to do?" he stammered.

The princess stood again. Antoine was shaky enough already. He'd really be impossible if he saw her frightened, too. In the most confident voice Sally could manage, she answered, "For now, we're going to do what we came here to do. Find my father. We'll figure out how to get out of here when the time comes." Antoine took one last forlorn look back toward the swamp before following the princess into the foreboding confines of Ironlock.

The inside of the prison was dark as pitch. Sally didn't much care for that. It gave her and Antoine an even bigger disadvantage than the city at night if any of Robotnik's goons happened to be lying in wait. "Nikole. Illumination," Sally said, producing her small computer and holding it in front of her like a flashlight.

"Illuminating," Nikole replied, and a bright light on the versatile machine came on. That helped, but to Princess Sally, Ironlock prison still looked very gloomy. The light provided by Nikole seemed to be swallowed up within a short radius of Sally and Antoine as they walked cautiously along the hall of the cellblock, scanning each cell along the way for any evidence of life within the prison.

Suddenly, a glimmer caught Sally's eye from one of the cells. It wasn't much, especially in the all-consuming darkness of Ironlock, but the dim glow of light reflecting off of a red satin piece of cloth was enough to be noticed. Sally ran into the cell – the door hinges in all the cells had long since rusted away – and kneeled on the floor, picking up the piece of cloth. "Antoine," she whispered shakily. "Look at the embroidery pattern on the satin..."

Antoine squatted beside the princess to get a closer look. "Oh, my princess," he said in awe, "This came from the king's cloak."

"Yes, Antoine," Sally replied, nodding her head, "This belongs to my father. He was here!"

**IV**

"Great, Sonic. Great," Knuckles growled as the two tried to survive the onslaught of SWAT-bots. He'd have to have a long talk with Sonic about carelessness after all this was done. "I don't mind a little challenge," the echidna continued, dodging blasts from the weapons the robots fired, "but don't you think this is a bit ridiculous?"

"What, this?" Sonic replied casually as they ran. Was that Hedgehog _ever_ serious? "This is nothing. You should have been with us two years ago, Knux. Bunny and I were in one of Robotnik's lab and… well, to make a long story short, we ended up face-to-face with a whole army of these bot-brains. Of course, I was a bit careless back then." He was careless back _then?_ "Trust me, man. No problemo here."

"Oh, really?" Knuckles countered cynically, "Then how come your shoulder's bleeding, Hedgehog? I suppose you got that walking through a rose garden?"

"Chill out, man," the Hedgehog said, shrugging. "One of these bots had a blade on its arm. It got you, too. On the arm. Didn't you notice?" Knuckles looked at his arm, and sure enough, a good-sized cut was there, the blood already drying. He really hadn't noticed. Odd.

"Well, there's too many of them to fight, Sonic," he observed. "And running away doesn't seem to be working so well, either. Got any bright ideas?"

"I've still got the power ring I brought with me. I could lose 'em fast around some of the street corners and back alleys in this place." Still as laid-back as ever. How _did _Sonic manage that?

"What about me?" Knuckles replied. "I can't use power rings…" his voice trailed off when he realized what Sonic was suggesting. "Oh, you've _got _to be kidding me, Sonic. I'm way too heavy for you to carry." Plus he'd never live that humiliation down if the other Freedom Fighters happened to see it.

"If you've got a better idea, speak up, Knux," Sonic replied, still so annoyingly nonchalant. "But we really don't have time to argue."

Grumbling, the echidna got the power ring out of Sonic's knapsack and climbed on his back. He joined the Freedom Fighters to get revenge on Robotnik, but he never anticipated having to ride piggy-backed on one of them to get away from a mass of SWAT-bots. So humiliating. "Right," Knuckles complained, holding out the power ring within Sonic's reach, "Let's get this over with."

Sonic grabbed the power ring from Knuckles. A bright flash and they were dashing down the street and away from the bots. Buildings whizzed past at blinding speed. Knuckles was amazed at Sonic's ability to go so fast and still be able to make the quick turns needed to go around corners. The Hedgehog looked so focused now. How could he be so casual one moment, then on the alert just like that, as if some switch had been flipped? Definitely an enigma, this Sonic Hedgehog.

The power ring's effects were starting to wear off. Sonic slowed down, finally coming to a stop on the outskirts of Robotropolis. Knuckles climbed off and stood, still a bit shaky from his dizzying ride. "You okay, Knux?" Sonic asked. Knuckles only nodded giddily in response. He had hoped Sonic hadn't noticed. "Shake it off. We gotta get to Ironlock. Let's go." And with that, Sonic was on the move again. Maybe he wasn't so careless, after all.

**V**

Sally still looked at the scrap of satin cloth in her hands reverently. Her father had been here. But where? Sally and Antoine had thoroughly searched the prison and could find no other trace of the king of Mobius. Their search always seemed to find the two of them returning to this cell, the one where they had found the piece of the king's cloak. _Why here, father?_ Princess Sally silently asked. _What's in here that you wanted me to see?_

The cell to which they kept returning seemed rather unremarkable. In fact, it seemed identical to all the other cells. Three damp stone walls, one with a barred window near the top. At one side of the room, iron bars and a door frame took the place of a wall. The empty space in the cell was only broken by two items – a wide board Sally supposed was a bed, hanging from one of the walls by two chains, and an ancient computer that couldn't even turn on in one of the rear corners of the room. There had to be something more. _What am I missing?_

"I could not say, my princess," Antoine said, startling Sally. Had she really said that last out loud? "Maybe Neekole could be helping us?"

Of course! Maybe Nikole could access a computer, even a dead one. "Nikole?" Sally asked, "Is it possible for you to interface with this computer? Maybe my father left some kind of message on it."

"Affirmative, Sally," the little device responded, "Accessing…"

As Nikole was connecting to the computer, Sally added, "Search '_bean_'."

"Searching…" Nikole answered. "One result. Text document." Sally prompted the machine to read it aloud, and Nikole continued, "Reading. 'Bean. Access and download file . Important information. Impossi-' end of document."

"He never finished, Antoine," the princess said, more to herself than to the squire, "Something cut him off. But now I know he wasn't killed when Robotnik came to power. He could still be alive. Nikole, download and open file ."

"Boo!"

Antoine bolted up onto the bed, and Sally whirled around to find Sonic and Knuckles standing in the doorway. "Wha- how did you get across the moat?" Sally asked.

"The moat?" Sonic replied with a chuckle. "Please, Sal. No moat can hinder me." Sally had to force herself not to sigh, but she noticed Knuckles roll his eyes.

She was about to make a comment of her own, but the echidna broke in before she could say anything else. "Did you find something, Your Highness?"

"Sally, Knuckles," she said firmly. Nobody ever seemed to think of her as just another freedom fighter. "And yes, I did. Take a look." The princess held Nikole at arm's length, and the computer displayed a holographic image. The others just looked at it, obviously taking the image at face value – a jumble of cylinders, spheres, and cubes, all connected to each other in some way. Sally could not hide her delight. "Do you guys know what this is?" she questioned, and when none responded, she continued. "It's a map of the entire underground network of tunnels beneath Robotropolis! This could deal a serious blow to Robotnik. My father had them built when he was king, but Robotnik doesn't know they exist. We can sneak around the city and he'll never find us!"

"The others will want to know about this," Knuckles remarked. So serious. He must have gone crazy having to work with Sonic all that time. "We should get back to the village."

As the small group began to make their way from the prison with their valuable new information, Sally couldn't help but wonder what the rest of the king's message was meant to be. Her father was alive. He had to be. One day she would find him and there would be no need for questions and surmise. One day the Freedom Fighters would have their king.

**VI**

The lighting in the laboratory was dim, but more than enough for Robotnik to see. There was much work to be done. Now that his loyal SWAT-bot had come back with the blood from the Hedgehog and the red one, all the pieces were in place. The stealth bots had been a costly ruse, but a necessary one. A shame he could not use those gliders against the Freedom Fighters – they would have been a valuable weapon. But now, he would have something better. Something far stealthier than any bot. Something that pathetic Hedgehog would never suspect until it was too late.


	6. What Hides in the Dark

**Chapter 6 - What Hides in the Dark**

**I**

Sonic the Hedgehog couldn't sleep. It wasn't the night air in Knothole Village – the clear and quiet place was a nice change from the mechanical din and acrid fumes of the city of Robotropolis. It wasn't the wound on his shoulder, either, though it seemed to hurt much more now that he wasn't worrying about getting his companions to safety. No, something else was amiss; something nameless and intangible. Times were changing. Something was about to happen on Planet Mobius – something big – and it would happen soon.

Sonic finally gave up on trying to sleep. Climbing out of his bed, he put on his socks and his red sneakers – people always seemed to think they were the source of his speed, though he knew he could run just as fast barefoot. The Hedgehog chuckled silently at the irony. He'd have to use that to his advantage sometime.

The Hedgehog stepped out of his small hut. A far cry from his former home. Sonic had spent his childhood living in the royal palace of Mobius with his uncle – not only one of the king's top advisors, but a close friend of the deposed monarch, as well. Sir Charles Hedgehog, Uncle Chuck, had been roboticized when Doctor Robotnik came to power. Sonic knew there was some way to fix that – to reverse the roboticision process. There _had _to be. The Freedom Fighters just had to find it.

Closing the door behind him, the Hedgehog began to stroll down the dirt street of the village. Though one or two lights appeared in other huts, the village street lay deserted in the late watch of the night. The only other light was from above. A full moon was visible in the sky. It was bright enough to rival the lights of the village. The first full moon of the summer. When Mobius was a free world, there had always been a three-day festival to mark the occasion. The celebration always started at sunrise, but the revelry usually continued the whole day and all through the night for three glorious days. Of course, that was all before the rise of Robotnik. There would be no festivals until Mobius was free once more. Maybe nobody would be in the Hall of Assembly at this hour. He could play a little music there. That usually seemed to help his nerves. He could play softly when he wanted to, despite what he told others at times.

Entering the Hall of Assembly, Sonic discovered he was not alone after all. Sally was there, a cup of coffee in one hand and a puzzled but determined look on her face as she studied the giant electronic table that the Freedom Fighters used as a map. She was muttering to herself in a voice too low for the Hedgehog to hear, but he caught snatches of "that can't be right," and "what does it mean?"

"Sal?" Sonic called quietly, moving a little closer. Sally glanced over her shoulder.

"Oh. Hey, Sonic," she said absent-mindedly, returning to the screen in front of her. Sonic moved closer still, until he was standing beside the princess. He understood what she was looking at now. It was the "subter" file they had found in Ironlock Prison the previous night. Sally had uploaded the map to the table. Their mission had been risky and exhausting, but their results made it all worthwhile. With Sally's help, Sonic and Knuckles had prevented a disaster by sabotaging Robotnik's stealth bot operation. The Freedom Fighters had also acquired this map – supposedly left by the king himself, though Sonic didn't dare hope for something so good - that showed a vast network of underground tunnels beneath the city. Exactly what Sal was looking for, the Hedgehog could not begin to guess. She should be overjoyed at their new advantage. What did she know that he didn't? Well, she actually knew a _lot _that he didn't. It was no wonder she was the leader of the Freedom Fighters. She was so smart, and courageous, and resourceful, and...

"Sonic, are you sure your shoulder is okay?" Sal asked sternly, bringing the Hedgehog out of his reverie. "You really ought to get it looked at."

Sonic waved it off. He had patched it up and bandaged his wound. It really didn't hurt so badly. "So you couldn't sleep, either, huh?" he said.

"I know there's more here than meets the eye," Sally replied, returning her attention to the map once more. "My father badly wanted me to see this. I'm just trying to figure out the significance of it."

Scratching his head in confusion, Sonic pondered, "Uhhh... Sal, isn't a huge tunnel network under the city pretty significant all by itself?"

"There's something more!" Sally didn't quite snap, but the frustration in the princess's voice was apparent. "Look at this large chamber here," she continued, pointing to a location on the map. "I imagine there's something important here. It's the only place like that on the map. We're going to have to take a look at that."

"So we'll take a look at it. No sense losing sleep over it," Sonic shrugged, earning another annoyed sigh from the princess.

"Yes. About that," she said brusquely, "Why aren't you asleep? It's late. You put in as much work as the rest of us on that last mission."

Sonic shrugged again in response. "Dunno. Just a sort of feeling. A kind of... You know the feeling, like when you're bein' watched but you can't see anybody around? My quills are tingling. And that's mondo creepy, 'cause it takes quite a bit to get me that way. I've just got this sense like there's a storm coming or something. I don't know how soon, how bad, or where from, but something big's on the way."

"Strange..." Sally considered. "It's probably all that's been going on lately. That last mission we went on was enough to put anyone on edge. I wouldn't worry about it."

Sonic wished he could agree.

**II**

"Snively! You miserable excuse for a minion! I don't care how late it is! Move it!" Robotnik had been working all evening on this and wasn't interested in explanations and excuses. The Doctor's lackey came closer to Robotnik, carrying a remote in his hands.

"But I don't understand, Sire." Snively whined. Snively _always_ whined. "Shouldn't we be trying to repair those stealth bots?"

Robotnik grabbed Snively by the shirt and pulled him in very close. "Listen very closely, Snively," he said softly, but nevertheless threatening. Robotnik had found that a soft threat could sometimes be far more effective than yelling. Sometimes. "For the last time, those stealth bots were nothing more than a deception. Bait. A juicy piece of sabotage those fetid little Freedom Fighters could not refuse."

"Then why did we not take them when they came here?" Snively squeaked in Robotnik's grip. Brave. Robotnik dropped him, none too gently, on the floor.

"Because... I... can't... capture... them!" the doctor snarled through gritted teeth. "I needed their blood for my plan! You blithering imbecile!" Of course, yelling had its effectiveness, too. "How many times do I have to explain it to you! Get out of my sight! Go do something useless and trivial!"

Snively bowed and left the room. Sometimes it merely took a firm hand. Robotnik just had too much work to worry about that bothersome creature. This was meticulous work. Robotnik needed to concentrate. He had no time for dim-witted questions. He often wondered why he ever bothered to try explaining anything to the little twerp.

"Music," Robotnik prompted the building's computer system. Music always helped him work better. Something classical, maybe. Snively always seemed to drain all patience from him. _Concentration. _That was what was really needed at this time.

"Specify," a metallic voice responded, seemingly from nowhere.

Robotnik replied, "Stravinsky. Opening movement of _Le sacre du printemps_." The ancient composer always had a talent for restoring Robotnik's concentration. As the grave chords of the music began, Robotnik returned to his important work.

Taking the the two vials of blood the SWAT-bot had given him, Robotnik proceeded. They were full – that bot had certainly taken a lot of blood! Well, Sonic the Hedgehog could suffer. And as for the echidna – Knuckles, indeed! Just who did Chanak-Te think he could intimidate? That miserable beast would pay dearly for double-crossing Julian Ivo Robotnik.

The doctor placed the two vials in a centrifuge. The components would have to be separated. Robotnik needed more than just D.N.A. He would need to carefully manipulate all of the disease-fighting white blood cells in order for his plan to succeed. It had never been done before. But then, nobody ever tried the Angel's Turmoil as a power source before. It had always been deemed too risky and unstable – that wretched, chaotic little gem. Robotnik would succeed where others had failed. Transforming organic to robotic was child's play. Engineering a new, completely organic life form... that was something else entirely. It would take careful, painstaking work, but it could be done. It _would_ be done. Then the meddling Freedom Fighters would be reduced to an unhappy memory.

**III**

It was amazing how much darker the sky became near the city. _Maybe amazing isn't the right word,_ Sonic decided. _Appalling might be a better choice_. It was only midday, but Robotropolis and the surrounding area was dark as night. A sky ruined by pollution overshadowed even the land around the city as Sonic and his friends began searching for the entrance to the tunnel network. This part of Mobius had managed to avoid the spread of the evil city and its paved, urban wasteland. So far. It would not survive much longer. Plants still grew here, however sparse. Brown grass covered the ground of a land that was once green, fertile, and teeming with life. Despite the clear night before, the new day had dawned with dark, low clouds. Rain began to fall later that morning. Rain was falling here near the city, too, though it did nothing to help the plants. Indeed, if Sonic, Rotor, and Tails didn't find shelter from the falling acid, they would be in trouble themselves.

Looking westward, Sonic could see Robotropolis through the vile haze that filled the air. "Look at it, Tails," he said grimly to his young friend. "Robotnik's pollution is spreading. It'll reach the Great Forest before long if we don't stop Robotnik. We're running out of time."

"We're not beaten yet, Sonic," Tails answered matter-of-factly. The Hedgehog knew the child's flat tone concealed an undying hopefulness Robotnik would not easily destroy. Sonic wished he could share the fox's optimism.

"Hey, guys! Over here! I think I've found it," Rotor called to Sonic and Tails from behind a thicket of half-dead shrubs.

The hole in the ground was small – barely big enough to fit through – and in the middle of the clump of bushes. Even so, Sonic remarked, "How has Robotnik not found this yet?" The Hedgehog couldn't believe what Sally had said about that. In the briefing that morning, she had told Sonic, Rotor, and Tails that the network was designed in secret before Robotnik came to power, and the doctor almost certainly had no knowledge of its existence. This place may have been hidden under bushes, but surely it wasn't hidden well enough for Robotnik not to have seen it.

"Well, he hasn't been looking for it," Rotor shrugged in reply, but Sonic noticed that the mechanic was peering nervously into the tunnel entrance, too.

"We might as well get started," Tails commented. "We need to find out what these tunnels are like whether Robotnik's got troops down there or not."

Sonic nodded and prepared to go into the tunnel until he looked at Rotor. The walrus was looking away from the tunnel entrence, his eyes wider than Sonic had ever seen. "Rotor? What is it?" His friend said nothing in reply, but continued to stare in the same direction. "Hey! Rotor! What's the matter, pal? You're acting as jumpy as Antoine."

Rotor turned to Sonic, shaking his head to clear it. "S-s-sonic..." he said nervously, pointing in the direction he had been looking. "It was... It looked like... you."

"Me?" Sonic asked incredulously. "Someone who looked like me?"

"Well... Not exactly. It was sort of like you... but... different. Not blue. A-and its quills looked a little different. I don't know. It stayed in the shadows. I couldn't see it too well. But... what if it's following us?"

"Not much we can do about it, Rote." Sonic wished he had seen this mysterious lookalike. If it was working for Robotnik, that could really mean trouble, but they had no choice but to continue, as Tails had said. This changed nothing.

After they had climbed down the rungs along the side of the tunnel entrance, Sonic, Tails, and Rotor found themselves in a metal pipe, easily large enough in diameter to fit Tails's airplane. Sonic was surprised to find lights running the length of the pipe. They were lit. Even more surprising was the stranger standing there staring at them suspiciously – a ram in a red jacket; an organic life form.

"Umm... Hi," Sonic said in a voice he hoped sounded friendly. The ram only continued to look at them, his face unreadable.

Sonic held out his hand to shake the stranger's. He did not take Sonic's hand. Instead, he said to Sonic in a stiff voice, "You and your companions are from the surface, yes?" Sonic nodded in reply. The ram's face remained unreadable, but his voice softened – very slightly – as he continued, "You are not robots?"

Sonic nodded again in response. The ram's face changed to what may have been a smile, though it lost none of its sternness. He did finally grasp Sonic's hand and shake it. "My name is Ariston. I am pleased to see that others have survived after all this time. I feared we were the only ones left."

"We?" Tails asked. Sonic also looked at Ariston curiously. There were more people in the tunnel network?

"I lead a group of others here who, like me, wish to see an end to Robotnik and his devastation of Mobius," the ram explained. "We are few in number, but we have worked tirelessly to find more who share our cause. Over the years, that has become more and more difficult. Now we're lucky to find two or three new recruits in as many months. Still, we do what we can. If you come with me, I will show you."

Ariston began to lead the three down the tunnel to what appeared to be a closed door. The ram was about to open it when Rotor stopped him. "Wait, Ariston. There's something you should know. Someone might be following us. We saw him on the surface. I didn't get a good look, so I'm not sure who he is or if he's friendly."

"There's no need for concern, my friend," the ram replied, his voice still remaining expressionless, as he opened the door, "Come. You will see." He led them through the door, and Sonic understood why Ariston had said there was no need for concern. They were in a very different tunnel now. This one was much smaller in diameter – the top was only about ten feet above Sonic's head. It was darker, too. The only lights Sonic could see were the ones directly above the platform on which he was standing. The most important difference, however, was the monorail in the center of the tunnel.

The vehicle in front of the platform was a single, enclosed carriage, equal to the platform in length and only clearing the top of the tunnel by a few feet. This car fit perfectly onto the rail, yet Sonic could clearly see what looked like treads retracted underneath the machine. "So this is how you get around, huh?" the Hedgehog pondered, examining the vehicle.

"We call it the _Chimera_," Ariston explained. "This network of tunnels covers a great distance, and we have occasionally found need to expand it to suit our purposes. It's faster on the rail, but we can take it off whenever we want. There's also a retractable drill on the front that can be used to dig new tunnels."

"It's fantastic!" Tails remarked, transfixed by the unique piece of equipment. "Can we see the inside?"

"Of course," the ram answered. "This is how we get to our headquarters, so you can all get in, and we'll be on our way."

**IV**

The _Chimera _certainly was quite fast on rail. Sonic doubted anyone other than himself would be able to outrun it. Even so, they had been riding at least 20 minutes and had yet to reach the headquarters of this resistance movement. The tunnel network must have been massive.

It seemed like an eternity before Ariston finally said, "We've arrived." Sonic looked through the windscreen of the vehicle and saw a large, metal wall in front of them. The wall had an "X" through it, stretching all the way to the sides of the pipe, and next to the wall was a red light. "This is the main entrance to our headquarters," Ariston explained. "It's electrified, and it has an alarm that activates unless the proper codes are given, so nobody can get through unless we want them to." As he pressed a few buttons on the vehicle's control console, the red light turned green and the "X" widened as the four panels of the door retracted into the pipe.

For the first time in quite a while, Sonic the Hedgehog was speechless as the _Chimera _entered the cavern of Ariston's freedom fighters. Princess Sally had mentioned a large chamber in the tunnel network, and Ariston had said a group of freedom fighters had assembled, but this far surpassed anything Sonic could have expected. The entire village of Knothole could have fit in this cavern several times over! The _Chimera _slid gracefully along its rail, which sat atop a precipice at the wall and just below the roof of the enormous cave, giving Sonic an opportunity to see the entire place. Crystals glittered and twinkled on the walls in an array of brilliant pastels. The walls themselves had a dimly shining luster, making the crystals look like jewels adorning a robe of dark satin. What caught the Hedgehog's attention even more than the crystals, however, was the sight he beheld inside the cavern. Buildings covered the entire floor of the massive chamber. Some buildings could even be seen protruding from the walls, like giant stepping stones climbing the sides of the cavern. Lights shone in most of the buildings, and the area between buildings was brightly lit, like the streets he remembered from his childhood in the capital. It was an impressive sight, especially with the crystals on the wall that seemed to shine even brighter than the lights of the underground city.

"There must be hundreds of people here!" Sonic thought aloud. "I thought you said you were few in number."

"Eight hundred seventy four, last count," Ariston said in response to the Hedgehog's contemplation. More gravely, he added, "But that is nowhere near enough to break Robotnik's forces."

The _Chimera _began to slow as it came to a structure in the side of the cave. The rail went into the building itself, where the _Chimera _finally came to a stop. As Sonic exited the vehicle with Ariston, Tails, and Rotor, they were met by a group of the ram's companions, led by a young goat.

"Welcome back, Ari," the goat said as he approached. "Did you find them?"

Ariston nodded solemnly and replied, "I'm afraid so. They perished in Robotropolis. There was nothing I could do. This mission was a risk our friends believed was worth taking, and they will not be forgotten." The goat bowed his head sadly, but Ariston began speaking again with more optimism. "But not all the news is bad." He motioned to Sonic, Tails, and Rotor. "This is Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails Prower, and Rotor. They come from the surface." Turning to Sonic, he added, "My friends, this is Griffin, my second-in-command. The others here are the leading council of our movement."

"A pleasure, Sonic the Hedgehog," Griffin said, shaking Sonic's hand. Then he faced Ariston and asked, "They have come to join our cause?"

"No, Griff," Ariston replied, smiling, "They are members of another faction of Freedom Fighters."

"Another faction?" Griffin pondered with anticipation.

"Yes, and they have something we don't," Ariston explained. "The Knothole Freedom Fighters are led by Sally Alicia Acorn."

As Ari spoke, Griff's eyes grew wide. "The daughter-heir to the throne of Mobius?"

"The very same," Ari answered with a nod. "They could be just the allies we need to turn the tide of this whole affair. But enough talk. Now, I would like to show our new friends our little operation." Ari began to walk to a door across the room from the rails, motioning for Sonic and the others to follow.

As they stepped through the door with Griff and the other leaders, they found themselves in a window-covered room which, like the rails at the entrance, commanded a view of the entire cavern. The only wall that wasn't completely comprised of windows was the one with the door, and this wall was covered in computers and video screens that displayed views of various locations within the cavern, and even some places in the tunnel network outside the cave. "This is our control center," Ari said to Sonic, "From here, we can monitor and communicate with anyone among us at any given moment. It's also where we adjust the output of the power crystals. Those gems you saw on all over the walls are an efficient source of power."

"It must've taken you guys quite a while to put all this stuff together," Sonic pondered.

"Not really," Griff replied with a smirk. "Robotnik was most obliging in providing us with the equipment we needed. It's amazing how much junk he leaves unguarded." Sonic chuckled softly. Griff was certainly right about that. Sonic himself had stolen enough from Robotnik to know that.

"Now, for some more serious business," Ari stated. "Sonic, it seems your friends and mine have a common goal. I believe I have been most forthcoming in showing the advantages we can afford you. If you are truly led by the Princess of Mobius, I am sure we can benefit as well." Extending his hand toward Sonic, he added, "I would like to construct an alliance between us."

Sonic clasped his hand and shook it. "The one you'll need to talk to is Princess Sally, but I have no doubt she'll want your help. It's an honor, Ari."

"Sonic! Come here! Quick!" Rotor, who had been watching the screens with Tails, was suddenly very anxious. Sonic and Ari rushed to the screens to see what had upset the mechanic so much. "Look!" Rotor exclaimed, pointing to a screen that displayed a cliff on the opposite wall of the cavern. "It's _him_! That shadowy creature we saw earlier!"

"Impossible..." Ari exhaled, "All the doors are three-foot-thick steel. I don't understand how he got through. Wait a moment. What's that he's holding?"

Sonic squinted at the screen, trying to get a better view of the glowing object between the shadowy figure's hands. It looked familiar. Where had he seen it before? Suddenly, Tails grabbed Sonic's arm and shouted, "Sonic! Do you know what that is? It's the Angel's Turmoil! That mean's the shadow's working for Robotnik!"

Sonic quickly turned to Ari and said, "You've got to get everyone out of here. Now."

"I don't understand. Why—"

"—No time to explain! Anyone who doesn't leave now will die."

Ari leaned over a microphone and pressed a button, then announced, "Attention. Attention. Level one emergency. Evacuate immediately. Repeat – Level one emergency. Evacuate immediately. That is all." Then to Sonic, he said, "We can get out on the _Chimera_."

"Let's go," Sonic replied, already on his way out the door.

As Ari and the others were boarding the _Chimera_, a rumbling sound began to resonate through the cavern. The sound became deafening, and the floor began to shake. "Hurry, everyone! Quick!" Sonic urged. Rocks began to break from the ceiling and hit the ground with a crash. A pile landed in front of the control room, sealing the door shut and burying two of the council members under the rubble. There was nothing else to be done. Sonic regretfully stepped aboard the _Chimera._ "Step on it, Ari!" Sonic shouted in the direction of the cockpit. The _Chimera _launched with such force that Sonic was knocked off his feet and onto the vehicle's floor. He got back up and went into the cockpit, where he saw that Ari had already opened the exit to the cavern. The _Chimera _shot through the door, which closed behind them.

"It won't be long now," Tails said, joining Sonic and Ari in the cockpit. "That cave can't continue to hold up against—"

Before Tails could finish, the _Chimera_ lurched violently on the rails, knocking Tails and Sonic to the floor and throwing Ari from his seat. As they slowly climbed up off the floor, Ari looked to Tails questioningly. The fox shook his head sadly. "I think it's gone, Ari."

Ari sat down and pushed a button on the console. "Come in, control? Anyone? Respond, please!" Only static responded.

"Nothing could have survived a blast that powerful, Ari. We're lucky we weren't derailed. I'm sorry." Ariston only stared at a communication console that would never respond again.

**V**

On the surface, the rain had stopped. Sonic, Tails, and Rotor were preparing to return to Knothole Village and saying their goodbyes to Ari and the others. "Sure you won't change your mind and come with us? We can still be allies," Sonic said.

"And we shall be," Ari answered grimly, "But we cannot go with you. If Robotnik knows where we are, your village will be vulnerable if we were to accompany you. Robotnik could use us to find you. If, on the other hand, we truly do not know the location of Knothole, then we will never be able to reveal that information, no matter what he does to try and get it from us. Besides, if any of our people have survived this catastrophe, then I must find them. But if you ever need us, look for us near the city."

"We will," Sonic said with a nod.

"Good luck to you and your friends, Sonic Hedgehog. I hope we meet again."

Shaking Ari's hand one more time, Sonic replied, "Good luck to you, too, Ari. We'll never forget that you're out there." Ari nodded and returned to the tunnel with Griff and the others. Only Sonic, Rotor, and Tails remained. "We should go," he said to his friends. "Sally will be waiting for—"

"Help me," A low voice cried. The shadow they saw in the cave emerged from a nearby copse of dead trees. In the grey-brown light of the polluted skies of Robotropolis, Sonic could see the creature much better. It was indeed another hedgehog. It also did look somewhat like Sonic, too. There were some differences, though. This hedgehog was covered in black fur from head to toe, broken only by streaks of bright scarlet coloring through his wild quills. What had Robotnik done this time? This creature had just wiped out hundreds of people, and now he wanted help?

"What do you want?" Sonic asked curtly.

"Please," the shadow pleaded, "I... I think I'm lost. Can you tell me where I am?"

"See that city?" Sonic snarled, pointing in the direction of the vile place. "That's Robotropolis. It's an evil place. Go back there where you belong. Who are you?"

The shadow bowed his head with embarrassment, "I... don't know. I woke up in an underground tunnel and found my way here. I don't remember anything before that. Please. Help me."

Sonic punched the other hedgehog. Hard. The shadow fell to the ground unconscious from the force of the blow. Sonic turned to Rotor, who had a puzzled look on his face. "We need to take 'Shadow' here back to Knothole," the Hedgehog explained, "but we can't let him see how to get there, can we?"

"Take who?" Rotor asked.

"I don't know what his name is or if he even has one. For now, the name Tails gave him is as good as any. We'll just call him Shadow."

_Something big really did happen,_ Sonic thought as Rotor picked up Shadow to carry him back to the village. If this creature truly had forgotten everything, then he may be a powerful new asset to the Freedom Fighters. If not, he could not be allowed to return to that maniac, Robotnik. Either way, Knothole Village would be a new home for Shadow the Hedgehog.


End file.
